Barbecue is about more than grilling a piece of meat. It is a deeply entrenched ritual, an act performed religiously around the world, a ceremony refined over millennia. Every culture has some form of barbecue. But what is it about cooking meat over fire a thing that brings communities and families together? Barbecue is a tool for celebration. It is the pride of nations. It is something that transcends cultural differences.

Filmmakers Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker have travelled the globe, finding what it is that makes us human, what unites us in an increasingly uncertain world. Filmed obsessively over two years, in 13 languages, Barbecue is intimately told by those who stoke the flames and turn the meat. This is their story, told on the world stage. The result is a densely woven tapestry of thoughts and moments from a truly diverse world. With glorious cinematic images in 4K, and a full orchestral score, ‘Barbecue’ is a symphony of meat and fire told in epic detail.

Barbecue looks not only to the past, but also the future. From Shisanyama in Africa, to Engangsgrill in Sweden, people light fires, gather, and talk. This isn’t just a film about food – it’s about why life is worth living. From the Syrian border to an outback town in Australia, barbecue is all around us. We celebrate life through it. We find unity in it. We discover answers through it.

“Salleh’s 4k photography is uniformly gorgeous (as a DP, he is equally attentive to pretty sunsets as to the savory colors of uncooked shawarma) and Larkin’s Philip Glass-like score is worthy of vinyl release.”[Sean L. Malin, Austin Chronicle]

Screen Australia Presents A Projector Films Production In Association with the South Australian Film Corporation and Urtext Films “Barbecue”Music by Christopher Larkin Performed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra Edited by Matthew Salleh and Rose TuckerSound Design & Mix by Michael Darren Sound Recordist Rose Tucker Cinematography Matthew SallehCo-Producer Rose Tucker Produced by Daniel Joyce Directed by Matthew Salleh